Description
A flavorful recipe for Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs combining ground beef and Italian sausage, cooked tenderly in marinara sauce for a perfect meatball dish ideal for pasta, sandwiches, or appetizers.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- ½ cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 12 ounces mild Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed
- 1 ¼ cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Sauce
- 6 cups marinara pasta sauce (two 24-ounce jars or homemade)
Instructions
- Prepare the mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until combined. Add the ground beef, Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir with a wooden spoon or mix with your fingers until well combined.
- Preheat the broiler: Heat broiler to high and place an oven rack about 4 to 5 inches from the broiler. Lightly grease two baking sheets with cooking spray or oil.
- Shape and broil meatballs: Using your hands, shape about 40 meatballs, each 1 to 2 inches in diameter, and place them evenly on the prepared baking sheets. Broil meatballs for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until browned on all sides.
- Transfer to slow cooker: Move the browned meatballs into a 6-quart slow cooker and evenly pour the marinara sauce over them.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook on low heat for 4 to 5 hours until the meatballs are thoroughly cooked with an internal temperature of at least 160°F.
- Serve: Serve meatballs on top of pasta, inside hoagie rolls with melted cheese for meatball subs, with mashed potatoes, or alone as an appetizer.
- Freeze option: Allow meatballs and sauce to cool completely. Place in a resealable plastic bag or container and freeze in a single layer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat until warmed through before serving.
Notes
- This recipe yields a large quantity of meatballs; consider halving the recipe if not freezing leftovers.
- Browning the meatballs under the broiler before slow cooking helps develop rich flavor and texture.
- You can use homemade marinara sauce or store-bought for convenience.
- Ensure the internal temperature of meatballs reaches 160°F to ensure they are fully cooked and safe to eat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball with sauce
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
